Iisalmi

Iisalmi is a city in North Savonia.

Formerly a fairly important railway junction, nowadays Iisalmi is probably mostly associated with the Olvi brewery and its products.

• Iisalmi city website

Iisalmi doesn't have an airport, the closest ones are in Kuopio and Kajaani, 80 km south and north, respectively.

Trains on the line between Kuopio and Kajaani, including trains from Helsinki to Oulu, stop at Iisalmi. There is also a train from Ylivieska.

• 63.56021927.2002811 Iisalmi railway station (Iisalmen rautatieasema).  (updated Apr 2020)

Coaches between Helsinki and Oulu stop at Iisalmi. From Kuopio there are frequent connections. There is also a coach line from Joensuu.

As with most other towns in Finland, arriving by car is always an option.

The town is reachable by boat from Saimaa and thereby from the sea. After Kuopio there is a 12 m height and 2.4 m depth restriction. 1.0-m and 1.2-m fairways continue towards Kiuruvesi and Vieremä.

Iisalmi has two local bus lines. Information about the timetables can be found here. Matkahuolto Reittiopas route planner includes timetables of Iisalmi local transport lines inside town. Matkahuolto Routes and Tickets app is able to first plan the route and after it sell the right ticket for it.

Iisalmi has PALI dial-a-ride service serving the centre and countryside.

The urban PALI service (PALI 1) operates on an on-demand basis within the Iisalmi urban area, alternating between the northern and southern service zones. The vehicles deviate from their routes as needed to pick up passengers.

Operating hours are weekdays from 08:00 to 17:00 (with a break from 12:00 to 13:00) and Saturdays from 9:00 to 14:00.

The rural PALI service (PALI 2) operates on an on-demand basis in the rural areas of Iisalmi, alternating between the service zones located east and west of Highway 5. The vehicles deviate from their routes as needed to pick up passengers.

Operating hours are weekdays from 08:00 to 17:00 (with a break from 12:00 to 13:00).

There are no fixed routes; instead, the routes are determined based on daily booking requests.

There is a bike sharing system using bluetooth and the Donkey Republic about €1.50/1 hr, €4/5 hr, €12/24 hr. For longer stays becoming a member is cheaper: €9 or €18/month covers all trips of less than 1 hr respectively 12 hr, also in other towns using Donkey Republic – but you need to register as member in the country of your card (available: most countries in western Europe and USA). Customer service info@kaakau.fi, ☏ +358 44 716 0644 daily 09:00–21:00. Several towns in south-east Finland use the same system, which is in use also elsewhere in Finland and abroad.

Finnish Move on East^{[dead link]} rents electric kick scooters for use in the centre.

• Taksi by Iisalmi
• EHT-Line
• Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi, Taksi EHT

• 63.553227.18531 Olvi brewery museum (Olvi Panimomuseo), Luuniementie 2. Mon–Fri 08:00–13:00. One of Finland's largest breweries, Olvi, is in Iisalmi. They have a museum where you can learn about beer and soft drink manufacturing. Free.  
• 63.55927.19342 Rukajärvikeskus, Savonkatu 24 (in Hotelli Iisalmen Seurahuone). Mon–Fri 09:00–15:00, except when booked for private events. A war exhibition by Rukajärvikeskus ("Rukajärvi Centre"). Book guiding in advance. €5, guiding €30.  (updated Aug 2022)
• 63.591827.16353 Koljonvirta. A strait a few kilometres northeast of the city centre connecting lakes Iso-Ii and Porovesi. The bridge over Koljonvirta was the site of a battle between Swedish and Russian forces during the Napoleonic wars in 1808.  
• 63.52303827.4282854 Hanhenlento Zoo (Hanhenlento kotieläinpiha), Hanhiniementie 13, ☏ +358 40 564 1502, info@hanhenlento.fi.  (updated Jun 2022)

• 63.58926.8541 Runni Spa, in Runni village (20 km west of central Iisalmi). Healthy baths and outdoor activities in one of the oldest spas still in use in Finland.  

• Oluset, Limuset ja Rokkiset: . Oluset is a music and beer festival in mid-July. Limuset and Rokkiset are alcohol-free rock concerts and accessible also to under 18s. (date needs fixing)

• 63.573827.18051 Prisma Iisalmi, Parkatintie 2. 7:00–22:00. A hypermarket.  (updated Aug 2022)
• 63.550527.21682 K-Citymarket Iisalmi, Eteläntie 4. Mon–Sat 7:00–21:00; Sun 9:00–21:00. A hypermarket.  (updated Aug 2022)
• 63.5527.2113 Mähösen musiikkikauppa, Ulmalantie 20, ☏ +358 40 096 5333, mahosenmusiikkikauppa@gmail.com. Tue–Fri 10:00–17:00, Sat 10:00–14:00. Independent music shop specialising in musical instruments, accessories, vinyl records, CDs and cassette tapes. Vintage and second-hand items are also available.  
• 63.55827.1914 Kello ja Kulta Lyytikäinen, Savonkatu 13 (in the town centre), ☏ +358 17 812 543. Mon–Fri 09:30–17:30. Jewellery and watch shop offering watch and jewellery repairs.  
• 63.558927.18885 Vaahteramäen Kirppis, Louhenkatu 7 (in the town centre), ☏ +358 44 770 0954, vaahteramaenkirppis@gmail.com. Mon–Fri 09:30–17:30, Sat 09:30–15:00. A self-service flea market selling second-hand clothes, household goods and other used items.  
• 63.55927.18856 Toivo-kirppis, Louhenkatu 5 (in the town centre). A flea market run by the local Pentecostal congregation.  
• 63.55827.1947 Lähetyskirppu, Kauppakatu 15 (in the town centre). A second-hand shop run by the local parish.  
• 63.5527.228 Iisalmen Kirppis, Yrittäjäntie 7, ☏ +358 41 475 1263, iisalmenkirppis@gmail.com. Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00, Sat 11:00–15:00. A self-service flea market selling second-hand goods.  

• 63.554627.18531 Ravintola Olutmestari, Veikonkatu 1. Beer restaurant next to the harbour and near the Olvi brewery. In the summer you can also eat at Ravintola Kuappi, a small yellow cottage on their yard that reportedly is the smallest restaurant in the world with a table for two — unsurprisingly you need to reserve beforehand.  (updated Dec 2015)
• 63.570427.1852 Iltalypsy, Kilpivirrantie 3, ☏ +358 17 816 111. Sun–Thu 6:00–21:00; Fri–Sat 6:00–23:00. A café restaurant.  (updated Aug 2022) ^{[dead link]}

• 63.559227.18821 Night Club Stella, Louhenkatu 9. Fri–Sat 23:00–4:30.  (updated Aug 2022)
• 63.558527.18952 O'Nelly's Irish Bar, Savonkatu 18, ☏ +358 50 388 4322. Sun–Mon 18:00–0:30; Tue–Thu 17:00–0:30; Fri–Sat 16:00–2:30.  (updated Aug 2022)

• 63.558527.18971 Sokos Hotel Koljonvirta, Savonkatu 18, ☏ +358 10 7856 100, fax: +358 17 812 012, sales.iisalmi@sokoshotels.fi. Like any hotel in the Sokos chain, this is an upper mid-range hotel downtown. Average rooms with tv, private bathrooms, some rooms have their own small sauna. The hotel has a restaurant and a couple of places to drink. rates from €140 including breakfast.  (updated Dec 2015)
• Runni Spa, mentioned in the Do section, is also a hotel.
• 63.559927.19412 Hotel Golden Dome Iisalmi (Boutique Hotel Artos), Kyllikinkatu 8 (near Panimomuseo), ☏ +358 108 08097. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. €72.  (updated Jun 2016)

• Kajaani
• Kiuruvesi
• Kuopio
• Nurmes
• Ylivieska

Sodankylä ← Kajaani ←

N  S

→ Kuopio → Turku